I am delighted to begin this message with some very special news. It’s been decades since a baby was born within Sea Isle City’s borders – in fact, we believe it’s been since the mid-1970s. However, all of that has changed, because earlier this week members of Sea Isle City’s Emergency Medical Services team responded to a 9-1-1 call from a local home, where a woman was in distress.
As it turned out, the lady was in labor, and her baby was ready to enter the world right then and there! Fortunately, even though everything happened very quickly, the birth was a success and mother and child were fine. We now have a new member of our community, and we could not be more excited.
My thanks and congratulations go to E.M.T. Kris Lynch and E.M.T. D.J. Fancher, who unexpectedly helped bring that “bundle of joy” into the world under very unique circumstances. Additional thanks go to SICPD Patrolman Steve Jankowski and Sergeant Shawn Lesniewski, who assisted in the delivery, and to Patrolman Alex Symanski, the 911 operator who swiftly handled the call. Thank you all!
In other news, I am happy to report that Sea Isle City has reached the “Bronze Certification” level in the Sustainable Jersey Program. Certified towns that are part of Sustainable Jersey are an outstanding group of municipalities that are making important contributions toward the long-term goal of sustainability in New Jersey and the world.
This milestone is the result of the efforts of Sea Isle City’s Green Team, which is an arm of Sea Isle’s Environmental Commission. My thanks go to Chairperson Susan Ahern and all of the members of the Green Team for helping us reach Bronze Certification.
In addition to welcoming new members to our community and being serious about maintaining a clean environment, we are also moving forward with several ambitious capital projects throughout town.
As you may know, we are nearing the construction of our future Fishing Pier and Kayak Launch at Dealy Field, for which we will receive bids next month and complete later this year.
Additionally, utility improvement projects are currently taking place in numerous parts of town. We intend to pave Pleasure Avenue from JFK Boulevard to 54th Street later this spring, and we are continually exploring ways to improve our flood standards and maintain our impressive flood insurance discount with FEMA’s CRS Program.
Yet, with all that going on, we still have time to plan many events and activities that will make 2020 a year to be remembered. So, plan on being in Sea Isle City throughout the coming year – and watch as our community continually gets better and better.
As a reminder, Polar Bear Weekend takes place over President’s Day Weekend in Sea Isle City, February 14, 15 and 16. It’s a wonderful time to be in town because a great many of our businesses are open and there are a variety of events taking place that will keep the fun going all weekend long. Go to www.VISITSICNJ.com for more information about Polar Bear Weekend – and don’t forget to bring your favorite cold weather attire.
This week’s “Shout Out” goes to local resident Alexis Keefer, who appeared on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” last week. During the broadcast, Alexis was invited to dance onstage, where she stated that Sea Isle City is “awesome.”
Her presence prompted Kelly Ripa to speak about her own memories of Sea Isle City, at which time Kelly said, “Sea Isle is the greatest” on national television. Alexis is an amazing young woman who works as a summer beach tag inspector for the City, and she always has a smile on her face. Thank you for being such a wonderful ambassador for our community, Alexis!
Smile … You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
